Get your fix of the best Christmas ads this year

It’s that time of year again. Yep, time to get the BBQs out and watch the best Christmas ads in an attempt to feel christmassy. Christmas is here in full tinsel-cladded swing. As much as you want to complain that it’s waaay too early to be playing Michael Buble’s album, you can’t help but be swept away as soon as you hear the opening bars of Fairytale of New York.

If you’re yet to see the ads, here are some of our favs so you know which ones are tear jerkers and which ones to give a miss.

Coles

Coles’ Christmas ad this year features a mix of mums, dads, grandparents and kids in a 30” feature, each sharing what they love about Christmas. I wasn’t overly taken by this, until I saw the kid-only special which brought back all the fuzzy feelings similar to those the final scene of Love Actually gives you. Top points go to Coles for coming up with the most random, possibly delicious, probably disgusting Christmas dessert: Turkey stuffed doughnuts.

Aldi (AU and UK)

When watching the Aldi AU advert, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a trailer for an indie Aussie cricket film. The link is tenuous, however, it probably hopes to speak to a typical Aussie Christmas for many families. It might be biased of me to say but I prefer the UK version. This ad has drama to it, telling its own story of ‘Twas the night before Christmas’. Never have I ever cared so much for the welfare of carrots so much in my life, but Aldi hooks you in nicely.

David Jones

This is by far my favourite Aussie Christmas ad of 2017. Ever since John Lewis started the trend of beautifully nostalgic Christmas ads, other brands have taken up the challenge. This year, David Jones takes the title, stealing it from John Lewis (strong words, I know).

Following the story of a gingerbread man making the journey home from the UK to Australia, he travels the world searching for presents for his family. Almost suffering from a severe case of gingerbread-man-decapitation (a shocking twist you’ll be gasping at), the eventual reunion will have you piping your eye. Or is that just me?

John Lewis

Perhaps the most widely anticipated and, usually, the best ad of the Christmas season, however, this year, I am bitterly disappointed. Where’s the tug on the heart-strings? The adorable animals? Or the music that has you crying from the first note? Instead, we have a monster that keeps a little boy up all hours of the night to play with him, causing the boy to suffer at school and fall asleep eating his dinner. This year, there were no happy tears for John Lewis so I’ll be watching reruns of the 2014 penguin ad.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s are perhaps best known for their emotive take on the Christmas Day football game during World War One back in 2014. But this year they decided to do what I can only describe as a ‘jingle-rap-thingy’. On first watch, you can’t help but wonder what they were thinking, but by the 5th and 6th watch, you’ll be joining in. The ad features a snapshot of UK life, featuring real people rather than actors: primary school kids, nurses, Jim from the Royal Family, girls on a night out and grandparents wearing embarrassing Christmas jumpers. It’s annoying but it does what it sets out to, celebrates every bit of Christmas.

Tesco

This Christmas ad has been criticised for featuring a muslim family in a Christmas ad, as Tesco aims to make “Everyone Welcome” this holiday. I actually really love this ad. Like Sainsbury’s, it shows every walk of life. Everyone from moody teenagers to back seat chefs all aiming to get a turkey on the table in time for dinner. It also perfectly captures the feeling at the end of the chaotic day with the offer of a turkey sandwich slumped in front of the TV. Oh, go on then.